How to put your heart into exercise

He´s heard all the excuses; now it´s time to get on and get exercising says fitness expert Stefan Spalice

Have you ever suffered from a heart condition or undergone heart surgery?  If so, has your GP or cardiac nurse suggested that you should take some form of regular exercise? Are you contemplating starting an exercise regime but are unsure as to the type of exercise that you should be doing? If you have answered yes to the previous questions, do read on as the rest of this blog will provide you with some useful information on how to join two different types of cardiac rehabilitation programmes, which are in my opinion the safest way to improve your health and longevity.

Choosing not to exercise

For the majority of people, the thought of starting exercise is not a comfortable one.  Let´s look at some of the most common reasons why heart patients choose not to exercise:  

• Exercise could make my condition worse - Before starting an exercise regime, it is very important that you consult with your GP or cardiac nurse to ensure that it is safe for you to start exercising. If you are suitable to start exercise your GP or cardiac nurse will provide you with written medical clearance and you will need to discuss this information with the exercise instructor before you start exercising. Further information can be found at http://www.bacreducation.co.uk/information_for_health_professionals.html

• I can´t afford to exercise - People believe that in order to do exercise of any benefit, they need to buy expensive exercise equipment, hire a personal trainer, or take out a membership at a Health Club or Leisure Centre. None of this is true but people continue to believe this to be the case.

• I don´t have enough time to do any exercise - The majority of people find it very difficult to find time to do exercise. This is because of family and work commitments; however, try not to make these excuses not to exercise. Exercise doesn´t need to be time consuming and most of us can find a little bit of time each week to set aside.

• I just can´t be bothered to exercise - Some of us are just lazy by nature. Even if we have spare time, we would rather spend it at home watching TV, surfing the net, or socialising with friends. People think that exercise has to be vigorous (bad experiences with exercise at School haven´t helped people´s perception of exercise) and just hearing the word ‘exercise’ makes them feel tired. Others just feel that exercise is just boring.

If you hear yourself in any of the statements above, perhaps you might benefit from spending time with one of the fantastic community groups mentioned below.  Over the years I’ve seen how these groups have changed the lives of people in my community in Birmingham, not just in terms of their physical health, but also their mental health and social lives. Why not give them a try?

Community based phase IV cardiac rehabilitation

Community cardiac Phase IV cardiac rehabilitation services are run by Local Authorities and or Primary Care Trusts. This service is usually free, although is limited to a set amount of sessions. People can be referred to the service by their G.P or cardiac nurse. Community Phase IV programmes are an extension of hospital based rehabilitation programmes and they offer gym based and or group exercise sessions. 

Exercise sessions are conveniently located for local people and usually take place in nearby Health Centres or Leisure Centres. All exercise sessions are led by fully qualified British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase IV qualified instructors such as myself.

For more information on finding your nearest community based Phase IV Cardiac Rehabilitation programme, click on this link www.cardiac-rehabilitation.net

Heart support groups

They are usually voluntary organisations that are affiliated to the British Heart Foundation. This service is provided by people who have suffered from a heart condition and who understand how it feels to be dealing with the anxieties that sometimes come with learning to live with heart problems. The benefit of this type of programme is that your membership can be renewed annually and it isn´t restricted to a set amount of sessions. You may have to pay a small annual subscription and there is normally a charge to cover the cost of the exercise sessions. They work very closely with community and hospital based cardiac rehabilitation programmes and people can be referred to the heart support group by their GP or cardiac nurse. 

The heart support group offers on-going help and advice as well as the opportunity to meet other people, attend social events and take part in exercise classes. Meetings are usually held in community buildings such as Leisure Centres, Health Clubs, and Church Halls, and exercise sessions are taken by a fully qualified British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR) Phase IV Instructor.

For more information please click on the links below:

• Heart Support Groups
• British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase IV Instructor Training

I hope you´ve found this blog useful but if you have any queries regarding its content or you require further information please feel free to contact: stefan.spalice@tiscali.co.uk

Stefan Spalice has worked in the Health & Fitness Industry for over 16 years. During this time he has trained with organisations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR). Stefan has gained qualifications in Fitness Instruction, Personal Training, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Sports Massage Therapy. A member of the Register of Exercise Professionals at Level 4, since its conception in 2002, to date, Stefan has worked for a number of UK´s largest and most prestigious health and fitness clubs namely Livingwell, Racquets & Healthtrack and David Lloyd Leisure. For the past 7 years, he´s been a Cardiac Rehabilitation Instructor for the Heartlanders Heart Support Group which  is based at Saltley Community Leisure Centre in Birmingham.